THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, April 8, 1995 TAG: 9504080384
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Short : 42 lines
Great Bridge and Western Branch spent the first two weeks of the softball season separating themselves from the rest of the Southeastern District pack.
Friday, the Bruins needed only about 10 minutes to put some distance between themselves and the Wildcats.
The second-ranked Bruins struck for four runs in the first inning, then relied on the gutsy pitching of Nicole Belote and sparkling defense to earn a 4-2 victory over the visiting No. 4 Wildcats in a rematch of the 1994 Eastern Region final.
Belote ignored a pulled back muscle in going the distance for the Bruins (6-3, 4-0).
``This was Great Bridge,'' Belote said. ``I had to do it.''
The Wildcats (6-1, 4-1) rapped out eight hits and spent six innings doing a lot of things right. But they couldn't overcome a first inning during which just about everything went wrong.
The frame started innocently enough, as sophomore Denise Wack fanned the first two hitters. But four singles and two Great Bridge errors later, the Wildcats were staring at a 4-0 deficit.
The Wildcats answered with two in the fifth, but nifty Bruins glovework continually denied them more. Shortstop Evie Benson snuffed out one potential Wildcat rally by spearing a liner with two outs and runners at second and third. Third baseman Jennifer Sajko ran into the fence to snag a foul pop. Catcher Angie Albertson gunned down two baserunners, including Elizabeth Bain at third during the Wildcats' two-run fifth. Later in that inning, Sajko threw her body in front of Emily Ouzts' scorching one-hopper, then threw out the Great Bridge centerfielder on a bang-bang play which, depending upon which side of the stands one was sitting, was either ``a terrible call!'' or ``Good eyes, blue!'' by CNB